If you have lived through a Saskatchewan winter, you already know the challenge. From late November through March, outdoor temperatures regularly drop below minus 20. Wind chill warnings are a weekly event. Daylight vanishes before school lets out. And kids who were running around outside all summer are suddenly stuck indoors with a tablet and a growing case of cabin fever.
Keeping children physically active through a Regina winter is not just nice to have — it is essential for their physical development, their sleep quality, their mood regulation, and (let us be honest) the sanity of everyone in the household.
The Indoor Sports Option
This is our obvious bias showing, but structured indoor sports are one of the best ways to keep kids moving through the winter months. Our fall block at NAA runs from October through December, which covers the first half of the cold season. Basketball, volleyball, badminton, and martial arts are all indoor activities that do not care what the thermometer reads.
For the January-to-March stretch, we run a winter block across the same four programs. The schedule is published on TeamLinkt well in advance so families can plan around it.
Beyond Organised Sport
Not every family can commit to a scheduled sports program, and that is completely understandable. Here are some other options that work well in Regina:
Public Swim Sessions — The City of Regina operates several indoor aquatic centres including the Sandra Chicken Dickinson Leisure Centre and the Lawson Aquatic Centre. Drop-in family swim sessions run year-round and are an excellent low-cost option for all-ages physical activity.
Indoor Playground Facilities — For younger children (under 8), places like Funtastic in the Northgate Mall offer supervised indoor play structures. These are not athletic development, but they keep little bodies moving and burning energy.
Community Centre Open Gyms — Several community associations in Regina offer drop-in open gym times where families can shoot hoops, play badminton, or just run around. Check the North Central Community Association, Cathedral Area Community Association, or the mâmawêyatitân centre for current schedules.
Home Movement Circuits — We published a separate article on warm-up drills you can do at home that do not require any equipment. A 15-minute movement circuit three times a week makes a genuine difference in maintaining coordination and fitness over the winter.
The Screen Time Trap
We are not anti-screen. Screens are a reality of modern childhood. But the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines recommend that children ages 5 to 17 get at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity every day. During winter, when outdoor play drops to near zero, that 60 minutes has to come from somewhere intentional.
The families we work with who have the most success with winter fitness are the ones who build it into the weekly schedule the same way they schedule school, dinner, and bedtime. It does not have to be a formal sport program — but it does need to be consistent, and it does need to be planned.
Planning Ahead
If you are reading this in September and thinking “I should figure out a winter plan before it is too late,” you are already ahead of most people. Our winter block registration typically opens in December. You can sign up for notifications on our Contact page or follow us on Instagram and Facebook for announcements.
Stay warm out there, Regina.